What’s Really Causing Your High Blood Pressure? Hint: It’s Not Salt
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The Salt Myth
Ask most people—or even many doctors—what causes high blood pressure, and they’ll say it’s salt.
But that’s just not true. Cutting salt doesn’t solve the problem.
In fact, blaming salt is like blaming the wrong suspect in a crime. You’re chasing the wrong culprit.
The real problem? Sugar.
And more importantly, insulin resistance.
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Your body uses insulin to move sugar (glucose) out of your bloodstream and into your cells. But when you eat too many refined carbs and sugars over time, your cells get tired of insulin constantly knocking.
They stop responding. That’s insulin resistance.
It’s the first step toward type 2 diabetes—but even before that, it causes high blood pressure.
4 Reasons Insulin Resistance Leads to High Blood Pressure
Let’s break it down…
1. It Makes You Retain Salt (But Not for the Reason You Think)
When you have insulin resistance, your kidneys hold on to salt.
Not because you’re eating too much salt… but because your body is dealing with too much sugar.
The sugar throws off your body’s ability to regulate sodium, and the result is higher blood pressure.
So it’s not salt that’s the problem—it’s the carbs and sugary foods that make your body retain salt unnaturally.
2. It Lowers Nitric Oxide—Which Opens Your Blood Vessels
Your body naturally makes something called nitric oxide. This helps open up your blood vessels, making it easier for blood to flow.
It’s like giving your arteries a breath of fresh air.
But when you have insulin resistance? You make less nitric oxide.
That means your blood vessels stay tight, your circulation suffers, and yes—your blood pressure rises.
That’s why I love pine bark extract (Navitol). It boosts nitric oxide levels naturally.
3. It Causes Chronic Inflammation
A little inflammation is helpful—it’s how your body heals from injuries or fights off infections.
But with insulin resistance, you get chronic inflammation. That kind of inflammation sticks around when it shouldn’t.
It starts to damage the lining of your blood vessels—the slippery Teflon-like coating that keeps them healthy.
When that lining breaks down, you get plaques, narrowing of arteries, and—guess what—higher blood pressure.
4. It Narrows Your Blood Vessels
Insulin resistance also constricts your blood vessels.
This makes it harder for blood to flow freely, which forces your heart to pump harder. And that sends your blood pressure through the roof.
So now you’ve got a quadruple whammy:
- Salt retention
- Low nitric oxide
- Chronic inflammation
- Constricted vessels
All because of one thing—insulin resistance.
Where Does Insulin Resistance Come From?
It’s simple.
Too many carbohydrates.
Especially processed ones like:
- Bread
- Pasta
- Rice
- Cereals
- Crackers
- Fruit juices
- Even so-called “healthy” options like Tropicana
You don’t need to drink fruit. You can eat a little. But drinking fruit? That’s just sugar in disguise.
Your body wasn’t designed for that kind of carb load.
What You Can Do About It
The best way to fix high blood pressure is to fix the root cause—your diet.
That’s why I always talk about the Metabolic Reset.
In my book Sun, Steak, and Steel, I walk you through how to eat in a way that lowers insulin, reverses insulin resistance, and supports your overall metabolic health.
It’s not about cutting calories or starving yourself.
It’s about changing your fuel.
Swap out the sugars and refined carbs. Replace them with:
- Healthy fats
- High-quality proteins (especially red meat)
- Real, whole foods
When you do that, your blood pressure often drops naturally—no meds required.
Final Thoughts
High blood pressure isn’t a mystery. We’ve just been looking at the wrong suspect for too long.
It’s not salt. It’s sugar.
And more specifically, it’s insulin resistance caused by a diet high in refined carbs and processed foods.
Fix the root. Change your fuel. And your heart will thank you.